


[Fandom stats] It's not just you -- there is a lot of M/M slash on AO3

by toastystats (destinationtoast)



Series: Fandom Stats [2]
Category: Fandom - Fandom
Genre: Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 03:44:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1026854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destinationtoast/pseuds/toastystats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I compared the usage of all relationship tags -- including combinations like F/M + M/M -- on AO3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	[Fandom stats] It's not just you -- there is a lot of M/M slash on AO3

**Author's Note:**

> This analysis was [first posted on Tumblr](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/52261319793/next-up-in-my-ongoing-series-on-ao3-stats-a) in 2013.

**INTRODUCTION**

This was a follow-up to my [initial look at the breakdown of various categories on AO3](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/50311933991/destinationtoast-because-i-was-curious-about). After posting that, I realized that the relationship categories on AO3 were not mutually exclusive; the same fanwork could have multiple relationship tags. I redid the analysis, this time looking at all possible relationship tagging combinations.

**METHODOLOGY**

Using the [Work Search](http://archiveofourown.org/works/search) page on AO3, I selected every possible combination of relationship category checkboxes. I recorded the number of works returned by the search. (I believe I was logged in, but I am not sure; it makes a difference as to how many fanworks you can see.) 

I also included a “No relationships” category in my analysis, for fanworks that don’t have any relationship category marked (this excludes “Gen” as well — it’s really more like “No relationship category tags”). 

**RESULTS AND DISCUSSION**

[[link in case of broken image](http://i.imgur.com/7F4P6J9)]

[[link in case of broken image](http://i.imgur.com/dYut08y)]

M/M is the largest category on AO3 by far. (This may contrast with Fanfiction.net and other platforms, based on some [cross-platform comparisons](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/53420355869/how-does-the-sherlock-fandom-vary-across) I did in the Sherlock fandom.) Possibly surprisingly, Gen is the next largest category, followed by F/M. All other categories and combinations of categories comprise less than 5% apiece. 

In separate analyses, I looked at some F/F stats: 

  1. [F/F stats deep dive](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6045463) as of Feb 2016 
  2. [F/F stats deep dive](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/109143033944/toastystats-femslash-stats-2015-femslash) as of Jan 2015 
  3. [Femslash: where is it?](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1704926/chapters/3629783) \- some data-driven essays from 2013-14.



**Author's Note:**

> I make a lot of posts about fandom statistics (many, but not all, focused on fan behavior on AO3). You can see the whole series as originally posted on Tumblr [here](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/stats). You can also follow just fandom stats posts at my [ToastyStats tumblr](http://toastystats.tumblr.com).


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